By:  Barrientos                                       S.B. No. 1355
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to special license plates for members of certain nonprofit
    1-2  organizations.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Chapter 88, General Laws, Acts of the 41st
    1-5  Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 1929 (Article 6675a-1 et seq.,
    1-6  Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Section 5p to
    1-7  read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 5p.  (a)  This section applies only to a private
    1-9  nonprofit organization having a statewide membership of 7,500 or
   1-10  more individuals.
   1-11        (b)  On request of an authorized representative of the
   1-12  governing body in the state of an organization to which this
   1-13  section applies, the department shall design and provide for the
   1-14  issuance of special license plates to members of the organization.
   1-15  The department shall develop the design of the license plate after
   1-16  consultation with that governing body.
   1-17        (c)  A person who is a member of an organization for which
   1-18  the department has provided a special license plate under this
   1-19  section is entitled to register under this section, for the
   1-20  person's personal use, one passenger car or light commercial
   1-21  vehicle having a manufacturer's rated carrying capacity of one ton
   1-22  or less.
   1-23        (d)  A person applying for license plates under this section
    2-1  may:
    2-2              (1)  have a license plate number assigned by the
    2-3  department; or
    2-4              (2)  apply for personalized prestige license plates
    2-5  under Section 5c of this Act.
    2-6        (e)  The fee for issuance of special license plates under
    2-7  this section is Ten Dollars ($10.00) a year.  This fee is in
    2-8  addition to the motor vehicle registration fee imposed by Section 5
    2-9  of this Act and, if personalized prestige license plates are
   2-10  issued, in addition to the fee imposed by Section 5c of this Act.
   2-11  The county tax collector shall forward the additional fee to the
   2-12  department.
   2-13        (f)  A person may apply at any time for registration under
   2-14  this section through the county tax collector in the county of the
   2-15  person's residence.  The department shall prescribe the form of the
   2-16  application.  An applicant shall submit to the county tax collector
   2-17  proof of eligibility to register under this section that meets
   2-18  standards prescribed by the department.  Registration under this
   2-19  section is valid for one year.
   2-20        (g)  If license plates issued under this section are lost,
   2-21  stolen, or mutilated, the owner of the vehicle for which the plates
   2-22  were issued may obtain replacement plates from the department.  The
   2-23  owner shall pay a fee of Ten Dollars ($10.00) in addition to the
   2-24  fee required for replacement plates.  If the owner of a vehicle
   2-25  registered under this section disposes of the vehicle during the
    3-1  registration year, the person shall return the special license
    3-2  plates to the department.
    3-3        (h)  The department shall deposit the additional fees paid
    3-4  under Subsections (e) and (g) of this section in the state treasury
    3-5  to the credit of the state highway fund.
    3-6        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
    3-7        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    3-8  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-9  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   3-10  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   3-11  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.